Coming Clean
by JusSonic
Summary: A short alternate ending to 'Lesson Zero'. What if, instead of trying to create a friendship problem herself, Twilight pocketed her pride and simply wrote a letter to Celestia admitting that she has not been able to find a friendship problem to solve?


Author's note  
JusSonic here, ready to write a short and simple AU ending of the 'Lesson Zero' episode of the show. Ever wonder what would happen if Twilight has decided to admit to Celestia that she couldn't find a friendship problem instead of causing that Miss Smartypants incident? Well, time to find out!

1: Yeah, I got your PM and yeah, I am thinking on that one.

Nobodiez, I love your ideas for the fic in question as well as the future crossover ones in generals at DA.

* * *

Twilight is freaking out. She has a good reason too. The day is almost over, she couldn't find any friendship problems to learn about or witnessed. The purple unicorn fears that unless she finds one soon, Twilight will be tardy and also fears that her teacher, the ruler of Equestria Princess Celestia, would be disappointed.

Twilight is desperate. She can't look like a foal in front of her teacher.

"Clock is ticking, Twilight. Clock; is; ticking," Twilight mumbles a bit, about to lose her mind. "Keep it together. If I can't find a friendship problem...I'll make a friendship problem!"

Twilight smiles madly as she saw a trunk nearby and opens it with her magic. All she has to do is...

"Mommy," A familiar voice is heard. Twilight froze as she saw her adopted daughter, Nyx, trots into the room.

"Nyx; what...I thought I told you to go to Zecora's to get some ingredients." Twilight said to Nyx in surprise. Her adopted daughter was supposed to be heading to Zecora's to pick up some ingredients for her.

"Turns out the stuff that you need were downstairs in the lab the whole time so I saw no need to go. What are you up to?"

"Nothing, nothing! No need to worry, Nyxie dear; Mommy's having a friendship problem to deal with; Yeah."

Nyx looks worried, seeing a mad look on Twilight's face. Something is not right here...

"Mommy, are you...are you all right?" Nyx ask Twilight, getting a bit scared. "I mean, you haven't gotten any reports to send to Princess Celestia in a while from what Spike told me and..."

"Nyx, I'm fine, I'm fine, now if you excuse me!" Twilight snaps as she prepares to open the chest, but Nyx closes it.

"No! Not until you tell me what's wrong! What are you going to be doing?"

"Stay out of this, Nyx!"

"Mommy, please! If you truly love me, tell me what's wrong..." Nyx insists, tears in her eyes. Twilight looks at her daughter then calms down. The adoptive mother feels a bit terrible.

"Oh, you're right. Like you said, I haven't sent any friendship reports to Princess Celestia during this week. If I don't send one in by today, she's going to mark me tardy!" Twilight explains to Nyx in exhaustion. "I couldn't find one and my friends couldn't take me seriously. I decided to make a friendship problem before it's too late."

"Mommy, I know what you're thinking and I understand, but this isn't the right way! Who are you going to do the friendship problem to; my friends?"

"Well...to be honest, yes."

Nyx's eyes widen in horror, her adopted mother is willing to force a friendship problem onto her friends Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo? And what would happen if it were to backfire?

"No, mommy, don't do it...what would my friends' sisters and Rainbow say if you try it? What if your plan goes out of control? What would the princess say then?" Nyx pleads to Twilight, tears in her eyes. "I don't want anything bad to happen."

"Nyx," Twilight said with an annoyed sigh.

"And what would anypony you care for say? Like my grandparents; Uncle Shiny that you told me about?"

"Nyx!"

"And what about a special somepony who I would like as a daddy," Nyx pleads to Twilight in sadness some more, hugging her mother. "What then?"

Twilight was stunned and silent. For a moment, her mind goes back to her foal hood days in Canterlot...before she was a student of Celestia and before Twilight met her friends that she knows today. The pony's mind is on him: Ben Mare.

Ben was a colt that Twilight used to know back in her previous school, a nice Earth pony who was shy and have trouble making friends, especially when it comes to Boris, a unicorn of a jerk who badmouth Earth ponies and sees her as his own trophy, much to Twilight's annoyance. Boris picks on Ben the most because of the friendship that he made with the purple unicorn...and more.

Sadly, after Twilight became Celestia's student, Ben disappears and she never saw him again. Boris claims that he was spirited off by some Demon Pony...but Twilight would never forget that he encourages her to study magic which began (along with Rainbow's Sonic Rainboom) the sequence of events that made the pony Celestia's student in the first place.

What would Ben say if he finds out what she's doing? The colt would never forgive her for taking a risk just to fulfill an assignment.

"Oh Nyx...I'm sorry, you're right." Twilight said, nuzzling her daughter a bit. "I got so caught up that I didn't realize how it would affect her. Please forgive me."

"I forgive you, mommy." Nyx said gently. "I was scared that..."

"Sssh, it's okay. I know what I must do now. Spike! If you're outside, come in now!"

Suddenly the door to the room flew open as Spike came in, the dragon was listening in the whole time! He heads inside, looking surprised while saying, "Whoa, Twilight. For a moment, I thought you were going to do something crazy."

"I was...take a letter." Twilight said with a sigh, then saw that her assistant got the paper and quill ready. "Were you going to write something?"

"I was but...never mind. Go ahead."

"Ahem...'Dear Princess Celestia. I regret to inform you that...I couldn't find any lessons on friendship this week and the assignment is due today. I apologize and will await any punishment or such that you will give me for being...tardy. Your Faithful Student, Twilight Sparkle.'"

Spike nods as he finish writing up, roll the letter up and blow fire onto it, sending the message to Celestia. The baby dragon said in concern, "I hope you know what you're doing."

"Yeah, I don't want you to go away." Nyx said to Twilight, nuzzling her a bit.

Twilight sighs while nuzzling Nyx right back, saying, "Me too, Nyx, me too..." The purple unicorn is worried. What if her teacher punishes her by taking her back a grade or worst forced Twilight back into Magic Kindergarten...who would stay to watch her daughter; and what about her friends? Will she never see them again?

* * *

The rest of the Mane Six arrives at the library as night fell. They look worried. The five haven't seen Twilight since she left in frustration a few hours ago.

"I hope Twilight is all right." Fluttershy said in concern. "She looks upset earlier."

"Oh, she will be fine...I hope." Rarity said as the ponies trot into the library. "She just needs to stop being a drama queen...well, unlike yours truly."

The group saw Twilight sitting on the floor, looking down in sadness. Pinkie bounces in, saying, "Hey Twilight. Where were you? We haven't seen you for the rest of the day."

"Agreed; we were worried you would do something rash."

"I did...sort of...I send a message to Princess Celestia, explaining that I was tardy and don't got a friendship report for her this week." Twilight said with a sad sigh, much to her friends' surprise.

"So yew did?" Applejack asks Twilight, putting a foreleg around her friend's back. "What did she say?"

"I didn't get a response yet. I am waiting..."

"Oh relax. Knowing the princess, I'm sure she would send a message to you right..." Rainbow yelps as a flash of light appears in the library, almost blinding everyone. Spike and Nyx came in, looking worried. "...now?"

When all is clear, the Goddess of the Sun Princess Celestia appears, landing on the floor. The ponies and dragon gasps as they bow to her, Twilight included.

"Princess Celestia! Why, this is a surprise!" Fluttershy exclaims to the princess nervously while standing with the others. "I take it that this isn't a social visit."

"Something liked that. Twilight Sparkle, I have gotten your message earlier." Celestia said to Twilight who looks at her in fright and worry. This is it.

"I know, I'm tardy, I'm sorry!" Twilight pleads to Celestia in regret. "Please, I will accept any punishment you give me. Just...don't separate me from Nyx or take me away from my friends! I..."

"Twilight, calm down; I didn't come here to punish you. I came here...to commend you."

"What?" The rest of the Mane Six looks confused at this respond. The princess isn't going to take Twilight away or punish her?

"Wait, why aren't you going to punish Twilight?" Spike asks as he and Nyx came to Twilight who is surprised by her mentor's response.

Celestia smiles as she explains, "Twilight did the right thing in coming clean and telling me that she didn't have a report on friendship this week. To be honest, I was a bit worried that she would do something rash that I would be disappointed in her and have to step in."

"I would've...except Nyx stepped in instead and interfere before I made a terrible idea." Twilight said hugging Nyx lightly. "If it weren't for her, who know what would've happen?"

"Well, I would've told the princess about your problem and what you would do." Spike explains as he scratch the back of his own head. "Guess that is not an issue, huh?"

"Well...you told me to send a letter to you regularly, princess...I..."

"I guess I should've been more clear before. You only need to send in a friendship report if you learn your lesson. You are already a great student; I don't need a report every week to tell me that." Celestia explains, much to Twilight's surprise.

"So...I won't be failed...or be send back to Magic Kindergarten?" Twilight ask Celestia hopefully while smiling.

"Wait, so you were serious about your fears and worries?" Rainbow asks as the other Mane Six looks a bit guilt-ridden. "Oh man! And we only shrug it off, denying you help when you needed it!"

"Oh, we're sorry, Twilight." Pinkie said to Twilight in sadness. "We should've tried our best to help earlier instead of not bothering."

"It's okay, girls...I'm glad that I didn't do something crazy like causing the Cutie Mark Crusaders to fight over a doll or cast a spell on it." Twilight scoffs a bit while chuckling.

"Wait, you were going to force a friendship lesson problem on my sister and her friends?" Rarity asks Twilight in shock and alarm, making her chuckle sheepishly.

"Twilight, to answer your question, no, you won't be failed...or send back to Magic Kindergarten." Celestia giggles a bit while Twilight chuckle sheepishly. "Seriously, where did you get a silly idea like that?"

Twilight smiles a bit and sighs. By coming clean before, she has saved herself some major trouble and disappointment...but what would happen when next time comes?

Fluttershy, doing some thinking, spoke up, "Uh, Princess Celestia? So that Twilight doesn't have to worry about writing friendship reports to you all the time...when she learns one that is...perhaps we could write some to you?"

"Yeah, if Nyx haven't interfered, we wouldn't felt worst fer not taking her concerns seriously." Applejack said as the others nod in agreement.

"Come on, please, please! I promise to write clearly!" Pinkie insists as she bounces up and down in front of the princess.

Celestia pauses to think then smiles as she said, "Fluttershy; that is a wonderful idea. From now on, Twilight, when you and/or any of your friends learn a lesson on friendship at any time, not once a week, send it to me as soon as possible."

The ponies cheers on as Celestia then prepares to take her leave. Rainbow exclaims, "We will do our best, princess!"

"I'm glad to hear that. Now if you excuse me, I must take my leave. I got some mail to be expecting in the future."

With that, Celestia heads off into the sky as the ponies and dragon watch. Twilight sighs then smiles as she hugs Nyx and Spike, saying, "Thank you...both of you."

"Why? It was Nyx who saved the day." Spike said to Twilight puzzled.

"True, but if Nyx haven't remain behind, I would've done something crazy...and you've called the princess and told her about my concerns anyway; I...I'm so happy to have you both with me."

Spike smiles as he and Nyx hugs each other. The other ponies went 'awww' at this. This was indeed a good moment.

* * *

A while later, once Twilight's friends went on home, the mother and daughter came into the purple unicorn's room. The purple unicorn sat the little filly down while saying, "I got something for you...as an extra thank you."

Nyx watch as Twilight opens the same trunk from before then uses her magic to bring out what appears to be some sort female donkey doll with polka dotted shorts and buttons for eyes. The alicorn filly looks happy as her mother floats it over to her.

"This is Miss Smartypants, she was my doll when I was a filly. I was going to use her for my friendship report...but since you helped me from making the biggest mistake of my life, I want you to have her." Twilight said gently as Nyx takes her.

"She's wonderful, mommy. Thank you!" Nyx giggles as she hugs the doll.

"May as well you have it. I mean, who else would; Big Macintosh?"

The mother and daughter laugh as both hug while preparing for bed once Spike comes upstairs. A star shines in the night sky as a disaster was averted thanks to a filly's love for her mother and a pony's reminder of a past gone.

Of course, who know what would've happened otherwise...

The End

Cast list  
Tara Strong: Twilight Sparkle  
Daveigh Chase: Nyx  
Nicole Oliver: Princess Celestia  
Cathy Weseluck: Spike the Dragon  
Ashleigh Bell: Applejack, Rainbow Dash  
Andrea Libman: Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy  
Tabitha St. Germain: Rarity

Author's note  
I hope you folks love this short story which is an AU ending of the 'Lesson Zero' episode. If only it turned out that well, eh? Anyway, time for the next fic, which is one step closer to 'Lorcan's Wrath'.

"Lorcan's Rage: (short story) Prequel to Lorcan's Wrath. Lorcan makes his big plans of conquering Equestria and getting payback on all of the ponies, unaware of one certain dragon from his past is still alive.  
Pairings: Twilight x Ben Mare"

Nice eh? Hope you all enjoy this story. Until next time, read, review and suggest.


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